Brian Cookson pens outspoken critique of British Cycling at "crisis point" thanks to people "with no real knowledge" of cycling

Former president Brian Cookson has pulled no punches in a start-of-2023 blog, saying British Cycling is "clearly at a crisis point" thanks to damage by people with "no real knowledge or commitment to the sport".

The blog post, published on his own website, titled 'Some thoughts on British Cycling at the start of 2023' appropriately begins: "Let's get straight to the point," before addressing the fact "many members" feel their governing body is "failing its membership, and failing the sport".

Cookson — who served 17 years as British Cycling's president and chair of the board between 1996 and 2013 before taking the top job at the UCI until 2017 — stressed that he is "happily retired" and hopes only to "stimulate debate and discussion" but "will not stand by" while the organisation is "damaged, diminished or destroyed".

Saying it is "time for straight talking", Cookson believes the situation "can be fixed" but cited failing membership targets, hiring a third CEO in less than six years, involvement of recruitment consultants, a "multi-rooted crisis of confidence in the organisation", various controversies — including Shell's partnership, transgender policies, advice not to ride on the day of the Queen's funeral — and a "brain drain" hollowing-out of the organisation since 2016 as evidence of its decline.

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"What has happened that has led to all this senior staff turnover, and why?" Cookson asks. "Let's look at this a little more closely. I'm not going to beat about the bush. It's time for straight talking.

"The problem, in my view, starts at the top. The widespread view, which I share, is that British Cycling has been damaged by people who have been parachuted into the organisation with no real knowledge of, or commitment to, the sport and pastime, and have no empathy with the people who participate and make cycling happen.

"British Cycling is clearly at a crisis point. Of course all sports have taken a hit from Covid and the cost of living crisis, but membership numbers are a good indicator — in British Cycling's current strategy, the target is to grow from 150,000 members in 2021 to 250,000 by the end of 2024.

"Currently, in fact, numbers are about two per cent down on the baseline at the start of 2022. To gain 100,000 members in two years is going to be a huge challenge, so the organisation is going to have to be absolutely fit for purpose in every respect. Plus the strategy and prioritisation of the organisation needs to be targeted in the right places.

"Once again, right now, British Cycling is hiring a new chief executive officer, the top paid official of the national governing body. This one will be the third in less than six years – quite some turnover in this important position, given that the previous three CEOs served a total of 28 years!

"Apparently the shortlisting has been carried out – by recruitment consultants – and an interview panel has been established. I say 'apparently' because all of this is being carried out in confidence and, as I no longer hold any position in British Cycling other than past president, I am not privy to any inside information on this, or indeed any other aspect of what goes on in the governance or management of the organisation these days.

"The main challenge that the new chief executive, whoever he or she may be, will have to face is how to deal with this multi-rooted crisis of confidence in the organisation.

"A crisis that has developed over time and is now abundantly clear to many, inside and outside of the organisation. And this is why the interview panel of the board of British Cycling, who will no doubt be advised by key stakeholders like UK Sport and Sport England, must ensure that the right person is appointed."

"A number of controversies"

Cookson goes on to mention the various controversies that brought British Cycling widespread criticism in 2022.

"You will probably be aware that there have been a number of controversies over recent months," he continues. "Including, but not limited to, Shell sponsorship, transgender policies, advice not to ride on the day of the Queen's funeral, and so on. I'm not here expressing an opinion on any of those specifically, what is concerning me is how and why these and other controversies arose and how they have been handled.  

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"Further issues have clearly arisen in the last few weeks within and between British Cycling's governance and senior management. First there was the departure (after less than two years) of the CEO Brian Facer.

"Then it was announced that the interim CEO, Danielle Every, is also to leave the organisation in Spring 2023. Dani has held the position of cycling delivery director for four years, itself obviously a key critical position in the organisation, so she will also be a huge loss. 

"There are also rumours of further imminent departures from the organisation. In the last year or so, BC will have parted company with a finance director, a company secretary, a CEO, and a delivery director/acting CEO. Almost a full house of the executive leadership team!

"To that number, in the last four years of the current chair's tenure, can also be added a corporate services director, a commercial director, a cycle sport director, and of course the last-but-one CEO, Julie Harrington. 

"Of course, organisations need to renew from time to time, people move on in their careers and so on, but this is a rather worrying trend, I think you'll agree.

"The last year or so has also seen the departure of several of the most senior and experienced coaching staff from within the Great Britain Cycling Team element of the organisation. 

"Successes have continued on the world stage, which is reassuring, but the key element here is that the pathways that identify, support and develop talented young athletes must be continually maintained and refreshed. That will need major continuing investment and sound management support."

"Hollowing-out of the organisation since 2016"

Promising to not "beat about the bush", Cookson blames the "continued 'brain drain' and hollowing-out of the organisation since 2016" as "little short of disastrous" and says the impact is "clearly beginning to show".

"For instance," he explains. "In the dramatic fall in the number of cycling events scheduled for 2023, which I understand is 28 per cent down on 2022, across all disciplines.

"These events are of course largely organised by volunteers in cycling clubs of all types around the country, and it is here where the demoralisation of those people and their commitment to British Cycling is most obviously and seriously failing. Add to that, of course, the disruption that all these management changes in culture, strategy, objectives, etc, have undoubtedly caused to staff morale."

Blaming those "at the top" without knowledge or commitment to the sport, Cookson suggests the constitutional changes that were "in effect forced on British Cycling by UK Sport and Sport England" in 2016 are the root cause.

"Of course those bodies have a duty to ensure that the huge amounts of funding they continue to channel into British Cycling are properly handled," he admits. "And I welcome their involvement, now and in the past. The huge amounts of Lottery and other funding have helped to transform the organisation and bring about its successes.

"But, after 2016, in order to continue to receive that funding, British Cycling had to accept certain changes, in line with the then newly-introduced UK Governance Code for Sport.

"There is a lot of good stuff in that Code. It was needed, not just for cycling but for all sports. But there is one element that has, in part, contributed to the problems noted above, in my view. Despite it not being a mandatory requirement, those bodies nevertheless insisted upon an unelected appointed independent chair of the board.

"This was alongside the mandatory requirement for a number of unelected appointed independent directors, together with a cohort of directors elected (via various routes) by the members.

"In theory, the numbers still favour the elected board members, but it seems clear that the end result is that the board has been, in effect, dominated by the unelected independent chair and those unelected independent directors.

"I have no problem with bringing in outside expertise at board level. On the contrary, I welcome it and it is something we began in my time as president and chair of the board.

"The root of the problem, in my view, is that with an unelected independent chair at the head of the organisation, the balance of power has shifted too far away from those people who have a total commitment to the sport and pastime that they are governing. That factor is at the heart of the damaging situation that we now face."

What can be done?

But how to fix it? Cookson suggests there are "two vital factors" that "must now be addressed as a matter of urgency".

"As noted above, the closing date for the recruitment of the new CEO passed recently. As it happens, I am aware in confidence of a number of potentially excellent candidates who, alongside the other necessary qualifications and experience, have a good background in, and understanding of, the sport and pastime of cycling – something that has been conspicuously lacking from recent senior appointments.

"The single most important thing that the current board, supported and advised by UK Sport, Sport England and their recruitment consultants, could do at this point is to ensure that the new CEO is someone who can fully demonstrate that element of their capabilities. 

"With the challenges they will face, it is clear that the overall strategy and the prioritisation of investment of financial and human resources into the sport needs to be targeted in the right places. To achieve that, they will have to have a strong empathy for the sport and pastime.

"And this leads me directly to the second vital factor. The position of chair of the board must revert from an appointed independent position to an elected position. The board needs to be led, as it has been for most of the 63 years of its existence, by a person elected from within the ranks of the people who make the sport and pastime happen – the members.

"That way there would again be direct accountability for the leader of the governance of the organisation, to those members.

"British Cycling's structure at the moment is closer to a quango than it is to the democratic membership organisation that it had been until 2016. Changing the status of the chair of the board to an elected position would be a key improvement in that situation.

"It could be done, with the correct preparation and procedure through an emergency general meeting. And it wouldn't mean that British Cycling was non-compliant with the UK Governance Code for Sport, because an appointed independent chair is not a mandatory requirement anyway.

"This is a critical moment in the history of British Cycling. Morale of volunteers, members, and indeed the many excellent staff who are still in post, needs to be hugely improved and strengthened at this difficult time.

"I am sure that this also applies to the riders on the Olympic and Paralympic elite and development programmes, where our future Olympic, Paralympic and World Championship successes will come from. 

"There are other important issues which need attention, I have views about them too of course, and plan to write more in the coming weeks, but these two factors are key.

"In writing and publishing this blog, I am hoping to stimulate debate and discussion. I hope everyone who reads this understands the seriousness of the situation and can help do something about it."